Tragic Love: The Story of Snow White
by Unleashed Soul
Summary: *Complete* Snow is betrothed to the arrogant Prince Charming. Charming knows a secret truth about Snow's parentage and does not wish to marry her because of it. Can this secret keep Charming from loving Snow? Would his love be enough.
1. Chapter 1

*******AN  _Hello! Quick little note: This story I began before I wrote my Cinderella story and I thought it was not too 'fairy tale like' __considering that I love to read sweet mooshy kiddie fairy tales. But after writing my last one I see that I can write it how ever I want to! I don't really know if I am going to have a happy ending or not, but I am trying to improve my writing skills, so this should have a little more detail remaining PG13 (or not) and not even I know how this story will end. _**

  "Mum?" asked Charming, a five year old prince with light brown hair and almost gray eyes. "Why is your eye all black? Are you dirty?" He reached up and touched the small blue-black ring around the woman's pale crystal eye. 

  "Don't touch it, my love." Replied Alexandra, the queen. She was in her late 30's now, her husband, the king, had smacked her for the first time since Charming was born. Five long years of relief from the man's strong fists was a bliss she never thought she would take for granted, yet over the time she seemed to think she would never be struck again. It was over an argument of Charming, a marriage argument. King Richard had wished that he be betrothed to his cousin, Norita, however Queen Alexandra wished for him to be betrothed to Princess Snow, a daughter of great wealth. 

  "Do you want me to get you the wash-rag, Mum?" he asked thinking it was only dirt. 

  "No, Charming." Said the Queen gently, "Go to your room and wait for Nanny to give you a bath." 

  "Yes, Mum." He started to walk away but instead stopped and looked at his mother once more. "Mum, it isn't dirt, is it?"

  "Get ready for your bath, Charming." 

  "Yes, Mum."

  The queen watched him leave, a single tear falling from her crystal blue eyes. _That will be the last tear I ever shed! she__ vowed to herself. _

  "Alexandra," said King Richard as he walked into the room. His face soft, no sign showing that he could ever harm this woman in front of him. He stepped towards her and gently rubbed her shoulder before leaning down and kissing it and gently forcing her to stand and walk towards the bed. "I love you, my Queen."

***

  "Winter," whispered the young servant gently into a woman's ear. "You are so beautiful."

  Winter turned and smiled at Snoedan. He was such a handsome man, raven black hair, the most lovely green eyes, tall, muscular and caring. Queen Winter, the young Queen who was unhappily wed to an older man. He cared for her yes, and she for him, but not as husband and wife, not as lovers. He was a good man, but his temper was quick and he ever found out about Snoedan; the young man would surely be hung. 

  Winter kissed her love on the mouth and brought him closer to her. She was as any young Queen should be, soft, long, blonde hair, creamy white complexion, blue eyes and slender. 

  "Snoedan," she whispered unsure of herself.

  "What is, my beautiful, beautiful Winter?" 

  "I'm pregnant." 

  Fear became evident in the young man's eyes. He stared at her for a long moment, not knowing how to respond to the news. 

  "By me?" The Queen could only nod, tears were rimming her eyes. 

  "I have not seen my husband for nearly three months, when my belly shows and I can no longer hide it from him, he will know." 

  Snoedan stood and breathed a deep, worried breath, then let it out slowly. What was he supposed to do now? What about Winter? What would become of her when the King knew? 

  "He will do nothing to me," Winter said as if reading his thoughts. "I know he won't. But if he finds out it is you he will surely kill you! And any rumor that travels by any scurry maid would be of you." 

  Snoedan knew this as well. He nodded at what he knew he had to do. He kissed Winter once more and promised her it would not be the last time they saw each other. Then he left...

***

  "Nanny," said Charming as the old woman filled the tub with one bucket of hot water and one of cold. She dipped her hand in to feel the temperature and added a little more cold water before answering him.

  "Yes, Prince Charming?" The name Charming, what parent would inflict that on a child? But then thinking of his father she thought perhaps when the boy was older he would live up to his name. 

  "Father would never hit Mum, would he?" The woman looked at the small boy for a long time.

  "Who told you such lies?" she asked bending down and looking into the boy's grayish colored eyes. 

  "Nobody told me, Nanny." he said matter of fact. "Mum has black around her eye."

  "It's dirt child, nothing more." said the older woman as she lifted the now naked child into the tub. "In you go, Prince." 

  "It is not dirt, Nanny." Said the Prince as he let the woman lather up the cloth and begin the bathe him. He stopped her and put his face very close to hers. "I _know it's not dirt, Nannidella."_

  _That sounded too old, Nannidella thought as she looked at the young boy. __He wasn't even old enough to bath himself yet, where did he learn to contradict what an adult said? Why did he not believe me?  _

  Just as quickly as he seemed to change into a young man did he change back into a child. 

  "Nanny, what story will you tell me tonight?" 

  "Friendships: The Story of the Frog Prince," Nannidella said as she quickly bathed the prince and then pulled him from the tub, dried him, then dressed him. She read him the story and then looked at him. His grey eyes seemed to hold more knowledge then they should.

  "Are you ready to sleep now, Prince Charming?" 

  "Yes, Nannidella." He said laying back onto his many pillows. "I enjoyed the story, read it to me again tomorrow, please." 

  He closed his eyes and was soon asleep. 

  _Nannidella, since when does the Prince call me by my true name? Nanny thought as she tucked the boy under the covers and walked from the room. It made no since! __The way he acted in his bath, I never thought that a man could be reincarnated, but those eyes reminded me of his Grandfather! _

  Nannidella thought back to King Morlord, he was a mighty ruler, and a kind man. But he took lies from no man, and his grey eyes would become so cold that he would make one tell the truth with just a stare. She had been the Nanny of King Richard when he was but a child, and she learned to love his father. The Queen had died giving birth to the Prince and Morlord vowed never again to fall in love. Nannidella was a beautiful, young woman then. Morlord loved her, she knew, and she loved him. 

***AN: _If you want to read the story that Nannidella read to Prince Charming then please check out my very first fairy tale ever! Friendships: The Story of the Frog Prince....... please review it! _**

****

**_The pronunciations of the names in this chapter is Nannidella: Nan-ee-deh-Ya, Winter (like the season), Snoedan: Snow- din, Morlord: Moor – lord, Charming (duh), Norita: Nor-ee-ta, _****_Annabelle_****_: Ana-beh-y-eh, _****_Richard_****_ (same as in English), _****_Alexandra_****_ (same as in English) _****_J_****__**

****

**_  Hope you all enjoyed the first chapter to my _****_Story_****_... _****Sorrowful Love : The Story of Snow White****    _please feel free to check out any of my other stories..._**

**Friendships: The Story of the Frog Prince**** rated PG Romance/General storyid 709738**

***Complete* A young girl is thrown into the life of a Princess after her mother marries the king. With many sisters and no friends, the young girl isn't very happy. Will she find an unexpected friend?        Rated for minor words**

****

**Gypsy Princess: The Story of Cinderella**** rated pg-13 Drama/Romance storyid 771809 **

***on hold, being rewritten* A young Gypsy girl is sold into slavery by a man that should love her. Now she has to deal with a rude madam and jealous miss and falls in love with a man she cannot have. Will she be able to win his heart? Or return to her home in the Gypsy band? Or will being a servant crush her world and make her do the unthinkable.      Rated for minor words and adult situations. **

**And as always **

**¡PLEASE REVIEW!**

** |**

** |**

** |**

** |**

** |**

** V**


	2. Chapter 2

***AN: *gasps* only one reviewer and it's gotta be a squirrel with a sweet tooth!! and one that doesn't tell me if my story is any good or not!!!!  :'(   ....well, it is a review I suppose *Unleashed Soul takes her magic pen and makes a big candy tree grow for squirrel (but warns Squirrel if she doesn't keep reviewing she _loses the tree!*_**

**   ......if you didn't know already I just wanted to tell you...... ahem, I LOVE reviews, so if you want me to upload any quicker then just you know... tell me... in a review.... along with telling me how my story is! (flattery is always a good thing by the way ;) ) **

*********************************************************************************************

**  "Angel?" Charming asked, "Am I doing this right?"**

  "Yes, young Prince," said his riding instructor. "Don't be afraid."

  "I'm not afraid!" Charming shot back, but his fear was evident in his trembling fists as his tiny hands held tightly to the reins. Angel looked down at him and smiled. 

  "Of course not, my Prince." Angel reached down and took the reins from the 5 year old and led the horse himself. Charming would be a great rider if he could stop being afraid of falling. Angel rode behind him on the same horse, but when the boy got a little older he would have to ride on his own. That was what Angel was afraid would scare him. But if he was able to teach the child 4 times a week the way he was then the boy would learn very quickly. 

  "Angel?" Charming turned his head so that he was able to see the large blonde man. "Is my Father a good man?"

  Angel stared at the child for a moment. "Of course he is a good man! Why ask such a question?"

  "Only bad men hit their children's Mummies, right?" 

  That explained it. Angel knew the King used to beat Alexandra before the birth of Charming. He had thought that that had ended. 

  "Only men that thought it would make a difference in the woman would hit her." Angel said, not quite answering the boy's questions. "Why do you ask my Prince?"

  "Mum had black on her eye." 

  "Maybe it was just dirt," Angel said, knowing that is what the king would want him to say. 

  "Stop saying that!" Charming yelled as he wiggled in the saddle. Angel began to panic at the child's struggling, he might spook the horse. Angel quickly wrapped one arm around the boy's waist and stopped the horse. Climbing down off of the horse, Angel pulled Charming down with him and set the child on the ground to release any anger. "Nannidella said that too!" 

  Angel could only stare at the small child... _Nannidella__? _

  Charming, seemingly to have composed himself but still acting as though he was older then what he was. He walked over to Angel who was kneeling in front of him on one knee. 

  "I am five years old, Angel. That does _not mean I am stupid." he said calmly. Angel looked into the child's face. He could only nod. He stood up and lifted the small boy back onto the horse. "Angel?"_

  "Yes, Charming?" Angel said as he swung in behind the child. 

  "Did my Father hit Mum? Or was it someone else?" 

  "I don't know my Prince, but I think it is about time we get back." 

  They rode in silence the rest of the way back to the stables. Charming seemed to turn back into his child-like self which left Angel slightly uneasy. What had gotten into the boy?

***

    Winter looked out her window, her 57 year old husband stood behind her, not speaking. They had not spoken to each other the entire day. Winter had fear that her husband would learn of her unfaithfulness, and the fact that Snoedan left her made her sadder then she felt she could bare. King Bradford did not speak because he knew not what to say. He knew something was troubling his wife, he only feared what it was. He cared about her, how could he not? She was so beautiful. Long blonde hair, round blue eyes, soft white skin... she was perfect. Who couldn't love her?

  He looked at her one last time before walking from the room, saying nothing at all. Once he was gone Winter turned and looked at the closed door. Tears began to roll down her pale face. She put her hand on her smooth belly. What was she going to do? She looked back out the window in hopes of catching a glimpse of Snoedan, though she knew that was impossible. He was gone forever.

***

_9 months later..._

  Winter screamed out as the last of the baby came from her body. 

  "It is a girl, my Queen," said the nurse that helped bring the baby into this world. 

  Winter picked up her head to see the baby, King Bradford stood in the corner of the room, not knowing quite how to react. He knew this child was not his, but it would be an embarrassment to himself to admit it to the world and put his wife on trial. It would show that the young woman truly had no love for his old self. He, at first, had planned as soon as the baby was out of its mother's womb to kill it. But then he looked over the tiny creature and found he could not. It was no part of him, he knew, but it was a part of his wife. And he loved her, he truly loved her. 

  Winter stared at the baby as tears fell from her blue eyes. 

  "Her name is... Snow." Said the Queen as she reached for her baby. She held the young girl in her arms, "Beautiful as Snoe-" she kissed the baby's tiny cheek before giving in to the sleepiness she felt. She closed her eyes, the baby still resting in her lifeless arms.  

***

  "Mother?" said the prince Tomas on this, the birthday of his mother. The King, Pregnant Queen and son sat on some chairs at the birthday ball, along with nearly everyone else (who mattered) in their kingdom. "Can I listen to Adele again?"

  The Queen smiled down at her son. He sore a million times when he laid his head down to his Mother's belly he could hear Adele singing. _Perhaps he heard the heart beat? thought the Queen. __Is that even possible? _

  "Later, my dear son," whispered the Queen as her husband finished his sweet worded speech to her. She glanced over at Annabelle, the girl she had wished to betroth her son to.  Tomas's father objected to it.

  The King had finished his beautiful speech, tipping his glass at his wife and taking a drink.  The ball began.

  "Happy Birthday, I hope it has been such a wonderful day for you!" said the ever joyful Eliza. 

  "Yes it has, thank you." Replied Lillian as she touched her large belly. 

  "Oh my, how wonderful!" The older woman said towards Lillian belly. 

  "Where is your daughter, Annabelle?" 

  "I do believe she is over there," Eliza said motioning to a small blonde haired girl. Annabelle of course had lovely blue eyes, straight but beautiful blonde hair, a little thick, but she was still a child, Lillian thought. 

  "She gets lovelier by the day!" 

Eliza smiled and nodded. They had spoken before about the betrothal between Tomas and Annabelle, but both Kings were not so sure about it. It would unite the kingdoms and become the grandest Kingdom in the entire world! Argued Lillian. No one would ever think of an attack on such a wonderful kingdom, Eliza would put in. Yet still the men were against it. 

  Eliza smiled and nodded her agreement as King Tomas came and took his wife's hands.

  "Forgive me, Lady Eliza, but I do believe my wife owes me a dance." Both women smiled and nodded to each other as Richard pulled his wife to the dance floor.  

  "I do not wish for my son to marry her daughter, my love." Tomas said through clenched teeth. 

  "Does that not mean we cannot be friends?" 

  "I know what you two like to talk about." He let go of one of her hands and twirled her around as was the dance. 

  "We were speaking of Annabelle's beauty, nothing more." She said as she was placed back into his arms. 

  The king remand silent and nodded, knowing that it would have soon led to other things. He let that slide and danced with his wife for the rest of the time until she was too tired and had to sit down. Her feet were aching from her swollen belly and the dancing added onto her pains. She sat for the rest of her party. 

   Tomas, who had just slipped from another woman saying how handsome he was growing up to be, was standing outside in the gardens alone. He picked up a stick and pretended to be a great knight.

  "What are you doing out here," said a voice behind him. Tomas turned to see a girl a few years older then himself. 

  "Playing knight, you want to play with me?" 

  "I can't be a knight! I am a lady!" replied the girl.

  "Okay, see that stump?" Tomas pointed to a small tree stump. "Go sit behind it and you can be the helpless lady I have to rescue. That stump is really a fierce dragon!" 

  "I don't want to be helpless!" the girl said stomping her foot. 

  "Don't be stupid, all women are helpless!" Tomas said frowning that the girl wasn't obeying him. "That's why they have brave husbands to take care of them!"

  "My Mother isn't helpless!" the girl snapped back. 

  "Yes she is! _All women are." Tomas said rolling his eyes and crossing his arms. His 'sword' and game forgotten._

  "What is going on out here," replied an old nanny as she walked out to see the two children. "Come along, both of you... inside."  

  "Annabelle," she said, "Go see your mother."

  She took Tomas and got him ready for bed. 

  "She was a spoilt brat, Brenda!" Tomas said after his nanny Brenda read him his night story. She nodded and tucked him in and left him so he would fall asleep.

**_plea_****se**** review!   
I  
I  
I  
I  
V**


	3. Chapter 3

***AN: Sorry it took me so long to post, I was in the states for a month for my graduation. Anyways last time I posted this chapy on my sisters computer I forgot that she didn't have html. So I'm sorry bout it and all... hope yall enjoy!**

"Papa!" replied the girl as she hugged her small white arms around her Father's waist. She smiled at the tiny cat that sat in its box so obediently. "She is lovely, Papa, thank you so much!"

  "Do you like her, Snow?" He said picking up the midnight black kitten and kneeling next to the girl he knew was not his daughter. He loved her though, she was the daughter of her mother, the woman he would always love. 

  "I love her very much, Papa, the most beautiful puss in all the world!" 

  "And what will you name her, my lovely daughter." 

  "Snowflake!" The King laughed loudly when he heard the name. 

  "But she is black, Snow!" 

  "I know, but I like snowflakes and I like her! So she is snowflake!" Snow said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. The king smiled at her and nodded letting her stroke the pretty cat. 

  Snow looked like her father, the king saw as he watched her play with the small black kitten. She had picked it up gently out of her 'papa's' hands and set it down onto her lovely cream dress trimmed in rose. The king closed his eyes for a moment in humor, she would have to change for the third time that morning. 

_With hair as black as a ravens wing_

_And skin as white as snow_

_You had the hair of a golden ring_

_How can your daughter be __Snow__?_

_We all know, we all know!_

  He shook the words from his mind; he would hear them later in his dreams. Snow looked like one of the servants had; her hair was as black as a ravens wing, her eyes were a light green-blue. From her mother though, she had inherited the creamy white skin and forever ruby lips. The servant was wise to flee; it would have been easy to pick him out. He was a foreigner, a man from far away, down south where the sun had made their skin all dark. But here was his daughter, the darkest hair and palest skin, not something that a princess she look like. She should have blonde locks and blue eyes. The king shook his head, it would be fine, things would work themselves out when the time came for marriage for _his daughter._

   He knew people knew that she was not his; he knew the reasoning that his mind screamed to him through the rhyme, but still he loved the child, and as long as those servants kept their thoughts to themselves everything would be alright.

°*°*°*°*°

_5 years later..._

  _ Adele sat down in the garden and read next to the fountain. She was now 10 years old and she had learned at the age of six she was an ugly girl. The only one who told her she was beautiful was her brother. Her father told her that she would grow into her beauty in time, her mother agreed. But she knew the truth; she had brown hair, big cheeks, and green eyes. __Some women just don't have the blonde hair, sweetie, but that doesn't make them not__ pretty. She heard that so many times it made her stomach sick. _

  Adele was smart, had a dry since of humor, and wished more then anything to escape her palace prison. She was not free! She wished to be like the adventurers her stories, but of course, a princess should not go on an adventure, nor should she learn magic. Oh the thought of magic was so intriguing to Adele. Her brother, Tomas, had once told her a story when she was little about a prince that was turned into a frog by magic, and then by magic was changed back into a prince! Then he told her a lot of other stories about magic. She wished she could wield it so much! 

  She closed her book and sighed. 

  "Not quiet enough Rodger." she said as she turned to face her best friend, Rodger. He was tall and skinny, large ears on both sides of his head and small eyes. His hair was the same shade as Adele's and so were his eyes for that matter. Rodger's mother, Blanca, was a kitchen maid and Rodger a stable hand like his father. Adele would sneak off to spend time with Rodger and his parents. Of course this was against the rule of _being a princess but Adele didn't feel much like a princess. Rodger's parents treated her kindly, soon learning to love Adele very much. _

  "I'll do better next time," he said winking as he sat next to her. 

  "Liar," Adele giggled and playfully elbowed the boy. He was her age plus two days, they met when they were around age eight. Adele had been taking her riding lessons. Rodger's father had taken hold of the reins from her instructor on Rodger's first day of work. Rodger tried to show off to the horseman and princess of how strong he was by carrying heavy stacks of hay; he accidentally stepped into a pile of horse manure.  Adele had giggled at him but tried so hard to not laugh to spare his feelings. Later that night she ran into him again at this very garden as he tried to clean his shoe off from the water in the fountain. They had been meeting here ever since. 

  "What are you reading?" Rodger asked as he stood up and looked around expectedly. "Lets go play!"

  "What do you want to play, Rodger?" 

  "Nothing at all," came a deep voice from behind. "If you don't get your little butt back inside, princess."

  "Tomas!" said both children at the same time. Rodger dropped into a deep bow and began backing up. 

  "Go home quickly, Rodger," he said grabbing his little sitter by the arm rather roughly. "Inside, now!" he snapped and Adele ran obediently inside, Tomas following behind her, not even sparing a glance at the small servant boy who waited till both Tomas and Adele were gone before running as fast as he could home. 

  "What has gotten into you!" Adele hissed. 

  "Be quiet and look." he whispered gently, not wanting to make his sister angry. Adele did look out in the gardens and saw a man talking a woman Adele stared as Angel gently rubbed the woman's arm, Tomas pulled Adele away from the door and they walked together down the long hallway.

  "That isn't meant for us to see. You must never tell, do you swear?" Adele looked at him in incomprehension, what wasn't for them to see? "That woman was the Lady Danielle the man was the knight Angel, both guests of Mother."

  Adele understood then, Angel was not to be speaking with the lady. Adele felt sad, she never truly thought she had any chance with the handsome knight, but still she had strong feelings for him that she wished she didn't. The ten year old girl walked to her room with Tomas, he told her goodnight and she got ready for sleep. 

*°*°*°*°*

  "It will truly be splendid, Snow," Said Maria, her personal servant and Nanny. "Your first ball ever!"

  "Yes, Maria," Snow said looking up from her bed. "It will be nice." 

  She was excited, but at the moment she was too tired to care. It was still very early and she just wanted to lay back down and curl under the covers. She crawled from the bed as Maria helped bathe her and then dress her into a lovely, light blue dress with cream trim. 

  Snow had grown even lovelier as she aged. She was now ten, and now betrothed, but knew nothing nor cared to know anything of her husband to be. That could come later. Snow's long black hair was shiny and fell down to her middle back and her green-blue eyes were so captivating. Her creamy white skin had not a blemish and all her features were soft and beautiful. She would be quite lovely when she was older, so everyone said. 

  Maria tied Snow's long black hair so that it was pulled into a long braid down her back. She then wrapped Snow's shoulders in her travel cloak and walked with her out to the carriage. 

  "Is Papa not riding with us?" Snow asked noticing another carriage being prepared. 

  "No dear," said the kind older woman. "He will be riding with Lords Herbert and Charles, they have many things to discuss you know."

  The little girl only nodded as she climbed into the fancy carriage. 

*°*°*°*°*

  "Tomas, dear," said Lillian. "Our guests will be arriving soon." Charming nodded and went to his room to ready himself and find his sister. 

  Twenty minutes later Tomas, Adele, Queen Lillian and King Tomas stood to greet their guests; Lord Herbert, Lord Charles, their wives, Diana and Marie, Queen Eliza came without her husband but with Isabella, and the King Bradford and his Daughter Snow.  

  "Lords and Ladies," Welcomed King Richard as everyone was soon introduced. Several other guessed were already present within the castle. It was Tomas's 15th Birthday Ball. 

  Tomas saw Snow step out of the carriage and looked down to his little sister. He was happy to see a girl, a princess for that matter, with out the typical blonde hair and blue eyes. Each of them were introduced properly and then shown to their rooms. 

  "How old are you?" Asked Adele to Snow when everyone else had gone.

  "Ten, and yourself?" 

  "Ten," Adele said smiling widely. "We are the same age! Let's be friends." Snow smiled and nodded and Adele took Snow to show her the castle. 

  "Well hello, Adele." said Isabelle when she saw Adele and Snow walking through the halls of the castle. "How are you dear?"

  Adele looked up at Isabelle who was reaching the age of 19. In all the books Adele had ever read the man should be older then the woman, even if it were by 10 or 15 years (or more), yet Isabelle was after Tomas who was only turning 15 tomorrow. 

  "Fine thank you, Isabelle." Adele said, "You met Snow, didn't you?"

  "Yes, pleasure." she said, Adele pulled Snow along slightly and Snow and Adele finished their little tour. 

*°*°*°*°*

  "There you are, Tomas!" Called out Isabelle to Tomas. "My, you are growing quite handsome aren't you?"

  Tomas looked at her and smiled slightly. He wasn't in the mood for Isabelle. He had thought she was a spoilt brat that day he met her playing in the gardens, and still his mind had not changed. Besides he had always wanted a woman he could take care of, being the 'brave husband' as he had called it all those years ago. He didn't believe women were so helpless now, but he did believe that a man should protect his wife.

  "Thank you, Isabelle." he said kindly, kissing her hand. "And you look lovelier by the moment."

  "Oh, thank you so much, Tomas. You are _too kind." _

*°*°*°*°*

  The ball came along and Snow was dressed in a long dark green dress trimmed in gold. She wore her hair down but tied very loosely around the middle of it and it hung around one shoulder, leaving the other one bare. Maria even put some make up on her face. She looked much older then 10 years old.

  Adele wore a light purple dress trimmed in dark blue. Her brown hair was pulled up in curls atop her head and she also wore make up. Her age did not shine through either. 

  Isabelle looked her age purposely, not wishing to look much older then Tomas. Her mother told her to love him and love him she did. Her gown was pale yellow trimmed in gold with a gold hair piece. Her lovely long hair fell around her shoulders. 

  Tomas was dancing with another girl at the moment. One that neither Isabelle nor Snow knew. Adele knew who she was though, she didn't mind her. Nora was her name. A slender and beautiful girl, but she was already betrothed to another man. The ball was beautiful and everything was going as Lillian had planned, except for the fact that Tomas was all but ignoring Isabelle!

  Tomas came up to choose his next partner and Lillian motioned for Isabelle, but Tomas instead looked at another person. Adele had not danced the entire time she was here, only sat next to Snow and talked. He walked up and pulled his sister to her feet. 

  "You haven't danced once tonight, is something wrong?"

  Snow looked around, feeling as if she was intruding; the prince didn't even look her way. 

  "No one asked me, go dance and have fun, Tomas! It's your birthday!" Tomas shook his head but when he saw Isabelle walking up to him he knew he had no choice, he danced with the older girl. 

  Snow looked over and saw her father talking with a woman. She was a beautiful woman, tall and slender, long red hair falling down around her shoulders and a pale green dress that revealed more then it hid. Her father was laughing... 

  Snow looked away; she was becoming tired and rather bored.

  "May I have this dance?" Snow turned around to see a tall blonde man, dressed in a black shirt and pants, unlike the other men all dressed in their tux. Adele turned bright red and Snow had to elbow her for her to mutter a 'yes' as Angel walked her to the floor. Angel was here with the King Richard, his wife and son sent their apologies but were unable to attend. Angel was their as protection for King Richard.

  Snow smiled as she watched her new friend dancing with the man she said she loved. He was so much older then her! She shrugged and got up from her seat and went to see her father. She squeezed in between the thousands of people who were whispering about nothing at all. 

  "And did you see, his daughter?" asked one woman to another just within Snow's range of hearing. She didn't care what they were saying until she caught the whole of the conversation. "Yes, that midnight black hair, just like a raven's wing!" She stopped and listened.

  "His wife had blonde hair and so did he," replied the other woman. "Where ever did she get that hair color?" 

  Snow felt as if she was being rude and intruding but the question stayed in her mind.... Where did she get her color of hair? Or of eyes? She figured before her Papa's hair went grey perhaps it was black, but it never really bothered her before. 

*°*°*°*°*

  "Tomas you absolutely ignored Isabelle last night!" Said Tomas's mother the next morning after their guests had left.

  "I danced with her," Tomas said as if he didn't care. "Father would rather me have ignored her completely." 

  The Queen fumed but kept her mouth shut, she knew it was no point arguing with Tomas, he seemed to do what he wanted most of the time. However he never stepped over his boundaries; that she was thankful for. Adele was something different however. The thought of practicing magic has crossed the child's mind now! How insane! No Lady should ever practice magic! 

  Angel had danced with Adele last night so that she wouldn't feel left out, but the Queen wished that wouldn't have happened either. Unfortunately Adele seemed to have formed a crush on the man and that just seemed to lead her on. She would have to explain that to Angel sometime. 

  The Queen sat down and shook her head... this was becoming so much more difficult then it should be!

*°*°*°*°*

    "Papa?" Snow asked when they returned home. "Where did I get my black hair?" 

  King Bradford just stared down at the small child. He smiled softly.

  "Sometimes children don't inherit their parent's looks, my child. Sometimes they get looks from their own souls." 

  Snow was satisfied with this answer. She knew it was true, of course it was true; her papa said it was true.

**Please please please please _paaahhhhleeeaassseeee review my story   _**

**I**

**I  
I  
I  
I  
I  
I  
I  
I  
V**


	4. Chapter 4

***AN: please go back and read chappy 3 if you want... I put the html into it. Sorry for the mistake.**

_And they lived happily ever after..._

  Snow closed the book and sighed. Perhaps being betrothed wasn't so bad. Maybe things will turn out like they did in the story's she read. Maybe she will have a 'happily ever after' too. Just like in the stories.

  "Are you ready, Snow?" asked her father. Snow stood, she knew she shouldn't have been sitting the way she was, feet crossed under her and bent over the book she was reading. She was happy to find that her papa said nothing nor was her dress in any sort of wrinkle.

  Today was the day Snow was to meet Charming, her betrothed. She slowly took a breath, glancing in the mirror once more. Her skin was still as white as snow, her hair was as black as the midnight sky, and her eyes were an odd shade of green blue and her lips so ruby red. She had begun to wonder how she looked the way she did. She looked nothing like her parents, nor her grandparents before her. She had seen the paintings. Only her grandfather had a shade darker of hair, but it was still no match to her raven color locks. 

  Today she wore sapphire blue; her gown was to her toes in the front and longer in the back and it grazed the ground only slightly. The bodice was tight, as usual, and low cut. On the bodice itself were tiny sapphires and pearls sown down to the waist, and then it fell full and moved gently when she walked. The sleeves were long and tight near the top but opened near her elbows. She wore no jewelry as the dress was jewelry enough. Her waist long hair was only partly pulled up and a few strands laid lazily over one shoulder. She didn't wear any make-up; her father had told her not to.   

  "You look so lovely, my sweet Snow." 

  "Thank you, Papa." Snow walked out behind him and they walked together to a different room to meet Charming.

  When the servant opened the door for them Snow entered. Charming stood with his back turned to her, looking at a painting of her mother – that had always been Snow's favorite picture of her mother. Her mother was young, sitting on a chair with her hands folded lady-like in her lap. She was wearing a long white and pale blue dress; she looked like an angel. Her blonde hair was pulled up on top of her head in curls and a few strands framed her face. She was beautiful.

  Charming's parents stood, his mother was beautiful, long blonde hair was tucked into an elegant bun, a small, odd looking head dress sat on her head. Her husband, King Richard, was dressed in a suit of deep green, his brown hair was cut short and he looked handsome. 

  Charming's hair was dark brown, and he wore a black suit with navy trim, he turned ever so slowly, and looked with gray eyes that made Snow melt in fear, yet she liked it. He was handsome, very handsome. Strong jaw and nose, it reminded her slightly of Tomas, beautifully shaped eyes and lips and was slightly tanned. He bowed to her gently, not seeming to be too interested. She curtsied and then he took her arm and led her to the ball room. Not a word was spoken between them after being introduced. 

  It was Snow's 16th birthday, that was the reason for the ball, and the ball was the reason that Charming was there. Snow felt as if he didn't want to be there, he didn't look as if he was overly happy to see her, he looked... bothered. 

  "You look nice," he said, sounding as if he didn't truly mean it. But it was a complement and Snow knew she had to respond, if he meant it or not.

  "Thank you, Sir," she said in the same tone, staring at him until he turned his head to look into her face. Snow just stared at him, studying him, every feature, and every mark. She kept the same look on her face, slightly arrogant yet knowledge filled. A small smile blessed his face, and Snow again felt a strange fearful feeling. 

  They continued towards the ball room. 

*°*°*°*°*

  Tomas talked kindly to the women throughout the ball. They were beautiful, but they were beginning to annoy him. Those high pitched giggles and they said the same things over and over again. He saw Snow and Charming enter the room. All eyes fell upon the couple. Tomas inhaled sharply; he had _never seen Snow look quite like this, quite __this beautiful. He looked away knowing it was only because she was now unavailable, she was out of his reach and that made him want her more. He had thought Snow was more beautiful then any other woman that day he had first laid eyes on her, her only being ten. But her mother told him she was already betrothed, __but of course there was always __Isabelle__. 'Isabelle', anyone but her. _

  He looked over at his sister; he felt a slight pity for her. He had wished that Adele would open her eyes and see that she was beautiful. Mother constantly said that she needed to lose weight which Adele translated to: 'you're fat' and Mother would also complement Isabelle's lovely golden hair in front of Adele, this Adele took as: 'I wish my daughter had the same', needless to say Adele felt less then what she was. And Mother denying her dream to practice magic didn't help any either. Tomas also knew of Adele's crush on the knight Angel. Another thought crossed his mind, Angel would be _here. He was King Richard's Knight!_

  The dances began and Snow twirled around with her soon to be husband. 

  "I meant what I said you know," Charming said as he stepped back and bowed as was the dance. "You do look very beautiful." He stepped forward and took hold of her hand and they walked in a circle. Snows long blue gown flowing beautifully behind her. One hand was in his, the other holding the side of her gown slightly up. Her long black hair and fair skin accented by the dress. 

  "And I truly meant it when I thanked you." Snow said, smiling devilishly. She curtsied and he bowed again. 

  "In life, my beautiful, what do you want?"

  "Happiness." Snow replied looking deep into his eyes.

  "And in a husband, dear princess, what do you want?"

  "Might I be so bold to ask you the same thing?"

  "I do not want a husband, Snow." Charming said, a slight grin on his face. Snow glared at him.

  "You know what I meant." Charming did not answer her; he only danced with her in silence until the dance was over. 

  "Excuse me for a moment, my Lady." he said bowing and retired towards the door. He needed air. 

  Charming couldn't deny that Snow was beautiful, he wouldn't even try. But the fact that he was marrying her because she was rich and beautiful: it wasn't what he wanted. He wanted more. Selfish? Maybe. Ignorant? Sure. Right? Without a doubt. 

  "Are you alright?" Snow asked walking up behind him. He turned and looked at her, she was so willing. Willing to marry a man she didn't know. Did she want him only for his money, of course not? For his name? Why? It bothered him so much he did ask, a little more forcefully then he had intended to. 

  Snow was taken aback at his behavior. She had never thought of it before. She looked down at her small white hands, her slender fingers wringing through the others in nervousness. 

  "Because Papa told me to." She replied honestly, looking up into his face. He saw something in her face, something he didn't expect to see, he saw fear. 

  "'Because Papa told me to' that is your reason? Do you not have a mind of your own, Princess?" he hissed.

  Snow stared at him opened mouth; soon anger filled her beautiful face. 

  "And, Prince, what exactly do you think you're doing it for!" Snow knew his parents had talked to her father about it, it was how it always was; he didn't even know her beforehand. She turned and began to walk back inside. Charming quickly grabbed her arm. 

  "Don't go in there angry with me, it will cause a seen and upset your father." he demanded. Snow took a step closer to him, putting her face near to his.

  "And what the hell do you care if I cause a seen or upset papa." she said in a tone low and angry. 

  It was now Charming who was taken aback. He stared at her for a long time. She turned and walked inside; before she entered she called over her shoulder to him.

  "I won't look mad inside, but when you come in and are beside me, don't speak to me." she walked inside.

  Charming watched after her, rather impressed by her attitude. Most women would have burst into tears, but not Snow, she had a spark of life behind her spoilt princess façade. 

***

  "Princess Snow, may I have this dance?" asked Tomas. Snow accepted and Charming walked in just in time to see. His heart leaped to his throat yet he didn't know why. He cared nothing for her, she was right; he was marrying her because his parents said he would. He had no right to say the things that he did, it was wrong of him. 

  _Such a hypocrite, he thought to himself. He watched her dance, she was so beautiful. He could live with that, he could live with that beauty even if there was a lack of something... a lack of something his Adele had once told him about when he spent time at the kingdom of King Tomas and Queen Lillian... a lack of love. _

  'Love' was never really a word that came into the minds of royalty. Power, wealth and beauty were all they cared for. Adele was something different though, a sweet child. He had once asked what she would want in life and she said 'Love'. Snow had said 'happiness'; did she truly mean 'love' and just didn't know the word for it? Charming ran his fingers through his brown hair and sat down. It didn't matter really, he would marry her, bring an heir to the throne, create a powerful kingdom for the generations to come and pray that his children married for this mysterious cause... 

  ...this so called 'love'...  

please review

**I**

**I  
I  
I  
I  
I  
I  
I  
I  
V**


	5. authors note dont worry, just an explana...

***AN: Hey, me again! ****Audrey****!  Who else :)         anyways I hear that a lot of you are getting confused with my story and asking who everyone is!? Well here is how it works:**

**Charming is the Prince Charming and the main Prince in the story, he has no brothers or sisters.**

**Tomas is his friend, a Prince from a different land and his sister is Adele, Snows dear friend.**

**Angel**** is a knight and Prince Charming's riding instructor.**

**Annabelle**** (I think I accidentally call her ****Isabelle**** later on but could you just sorta look over that, she isn't important).**

**Snow is the main Princess in the story and has no brothers or sisters.**

**The parents names are all there but since I haven't really touched this story in a month I can't remember all their names, but that's kinda easy to figure out too. **

**  I'll see if I can make it easier later on, sorry for those of you who did not understand! **

**(gives everyone a cookie because of her stoopid mistakes!)**

**  
  
**


	6. Chapter 5

***AN: Sorry once again for any confusion anyone has had... hope yall understand the story now, if not just ask and I'll answer our question right away!! ^_^   Okay expect the next chapter to be out pretty soon!**

  Snow gulped down a slight lump in her throat, she was nervous, what was she thinking? She looked at the large doors, her father was behind there. She nearly turned to walk away but the door swung open. 

  "Snow?" Her father asked, he was about to yell for someone but when he saw his daughter he quickly changed his mind. "What is my dear?" he asked. Why ever would she be here at his chambers, was something wrong?

  "It's about Charming, Papa," Snow said looking down at her hands. Bradford's face lit up at the sound of the boy's name. He would make such a good husband for his beautiful daughter. Snow saw this look of happiness and decided now was not perhaps not the best time.

  "Wonderful lad isn't he?" 

  Snow nodded and smiled. She kissed her papa on the cheek and walked back through the castle towards the large outer garden. There were of course several gardens in this castle, and she liked the small hidden rose garden the best, but today she went to the largest gardens instead. 

***

  "Beautiful day isn't it?" Snow turned around to see Adele, her best friend, behind her. 

  "I thought you and your family were already gone." Snow said in apology. "I would have come and got you."

  "Its okay, we aren't leaving till tomorrow. Not with your soon to be husband?" Adele looked around for Charming, knowing that he had not left yet either. 

  "Not now," Snow said looking around also in fear that the arrogant prince was around.

  "Where is he? Oh, I see him, look on the balcony. No not there, to your left, do you see?"

  Snow nodded when she saw him. He was too far away to make out too much detail, but Snow could see he was wearing black pants and a white shirt. She didn't truly care though.  

  "Hope he is about to jump." Snow said in dry humor. Adele stared at her for a moment before bursting out into laughter. Snow smiled at her friend and they stood and walked off into the deeper parts of the gardens. 

***

  Charming watched Snow and Tomas's younger sister, Adele, walk off to do whatever it was princesses do. He sighed, marrying her? It really couldn't be that bad, it wasn't like that. It was the fact that he didn't know her, didn't care about her in any way. 

  "Problems?" Charming didn't have to turn around; he knew Angel's voice by now. 

  "Of course not," Charming said turning and smiling at his older friend. "Why ever would you think that?" Angel smiled at him and leaned on the balcony beside him.

  "Your fitting for your name, Charming. That smile probably works on the women," the blonde man leaned closer, "but I am no woman."

  "What do you think is essential for marriage?" Charming asked giving up on the smile and looking out over the garden, he could no longer make out Snow or Adele. 

  "What I think is that you should follow whatever your instincts tell you."

  "Said by a true knight." Charming said and smiled. 

  "What do you find wrong with her? She is beautiful." Said the knight as he turned and looked over the gardens as well.

  "She is beautiful, and rich, and pleasant to talk to, and smart, and would do anything 'Papa' says." Charming looked over at his friend. "That is dangerous you know? You heard the rumors about the man, Angel! He isn't stable, he isn't right!"

  "Women die giving childbirth, Charming," Angel said in a quiet voice. "Don't believe everything you hear."

  "Snow isn't even a 'real princess'. Everyone knows her true parentage." Charming shook his head, "The pain that girl would feel if she ever actually heard the words, taken a good look in the mirror and realized the truth. Damn I hope that never happens to her."

  Angel stood quiet and stood straight, holding tightly to the bars of the railing. "It wouldn't kill her." He said it too quietly. Charming looked at him oddly for a moment, Angel looked over at him and smiled slightly then turned and walked away. 

  Charming watched him go and then looked back over at the gardens. His parents knew of her true heritage, her father was actually a servant, that was a story everyone knew. His parents only worry was that the word would become more then a whisper, more then a rumor, and would destroy the girl. His parents didn't believe in the rumors that Queen Winter was killed by her husband, they said it was ridiculous, but Snow was raised as a princess and how stable would she be if she found out her entire life was a lie? Not that his parents cared about Snow, oh not a chance in all the nine hells! No it was the money, the wealth, the beauty, the fame, the uniting of kingdoms that they cared about. It was only the benefits the girl would bring them, and of course Charming, when they were married.

  _She has everything a 'Perfect Princess' should, except for the fact she isn't a princess. Charming humored dryly as he too pulled himself away from the balcony and walked off away from the views of the garden._

  "Snow?" Adele asked as they walked through the deepest parts of the endless gardens, no one ever really came out here anymore and the sights of it began to look aged and mysterious. "What do you want in life?" 

  Snow looked at Adele for a long moment. "Why?" 

  "Just a question, Charming had asked me that once, I lied to him." Adele looked down at her hands at the confession. 

  "He asked me the same thing, I said 'Happiness'. What do you want?"

  "Adventure!" Adele proclaimed with out stretched arms, as if adventure would simply lean forward and snatch her awaiting form. "But I thought he would laugh at me so I told him 'love'."

  Snow smiled slightly. "Love?"

  "Oh, c'mon Snow, you know what Love is!" Adele put her hands on her hips and stared at Snow's white caste down face. "...happily ever after?"

  "Love comes after marriage, Adele, everyone knows that!" 

  "Says who? Your father?" Adele looked at her seriously. 

  "Well sometimes people fall in love, I know, I really am not that stupid, but with royalty you marry who gives you the best 'benefits' and learn to love them." 

  Adele put a gentle hand on Snow's shoulder and shook her head slowly. "Thank whatever it was, be it the heaves or the nine hells, that I was not only born ugly, but also born second!" 

  Snow was about to object but knew that it would do little good for her chubby friend. 

  "I envy you." She said, laying a white hand on top of her friend's sun kissed one. 

  Adele let her hand drop. 

  "Look at you!" she proclaimed with laughter. "With hair as black as a ravens wing and skin as white as snow! Snow White should have been your name!"

  Snow giggled at the comment and playfully shoved her friend. Adele reached down and picked up a stick and held it in front of her like a sword. "Beware you helpless princess, for I am-" she lifted sword arm into the air mockingly –"Adele, the..." she looked up at her up stretched hand for a moment then looked back down at Snow in all seriousness. "The wannabe adventuress who is actually nothing more then a mere princess." 

  Snow burst out into laughter. She also picked up a stick and held it up.

  "Well that doesn't sound too terribly intimidating! You're on!" The two princesses attacked with their mock swords and gentle hits, doing actually skillful maneuvers. Adele proved to be the better of the two and defeated Snow rather easily.  

  "You ladies shouldn't be doing that kind of thing." The girls turned and looked at Tomas, Charming and Angel, watching and laughing at the girls. Snow saw something in Charming's cold gray eyes, but it was gone within moments. All the boys wore smiles and were shaking their heads.

  "Your right," Adele challenged holding her sword up once again. "We should be trained properly by you fine gentlemen. 

  Charming stepped forward and pulled out a real sword from the sheath at his belt. Angel and Tomas, seeing the cue, also pulled out their swords. Adele, realizing that she only held a twig compared to their sharpened metal reached over and grabbed at Tomas's blade. 

  "Give that to me," Tomas did, knowing full well that his sister knew how to weld a sword and let her have it. "Let's go, only one at a time though please, I _am a __lady after all." Charming laughed once more and shook his head._

  "I don't know, Angel," he said jokingly. "I think a true knight should take care of this-" he looked back towards Adele- "she looks rather dangerous over there." 

  Adele lifted her chin and held her sword up to Angel. Angel smiled and shook his head before stepping forward and was actually going to spar with her. 

  "Are you sure about this, Adele?" he asked softly so that only Adele could hear his worry. She smiled at him and nodded attacking quickly and the sound of steal against steal clashing together filled the outskirts of the garden.

  Snow sat down on the side of the old, dried up fountain and watched her friend fare well against the blonde knight. Charming and Tomas moved to sit next to her, Charming directly beside her and Tomas beside him. 

  "Do you know anything about sword fighting?" Charming asked looked towards his bride to be. She looked back at him, her head slightly dipped to one side. 

  "Only the basics, the things they teach a princess, not like Adele, and most definitely not like you." She said looking back in time to see Angel defeat Adele with a sword laid gently on her crouched form, her shoulder to be exact.

   Adele crouched next to her sword, her hand as well as Angel's foot was on it. The look on Adele's face made Snow feel sad for her. Adele tried so hard. Snow also realized that she had missed the entire fight; it hadn't lasted long at all! 

  "You did great, Adele!" Tomas said standing and taking his sword back from his sister, he looked between both Angel and Adele, who were still staring into each others' eyes. Adele looked away and back at her brother. "We best get going, Father will not be pleased if we are out here too much longer, he had sent me to come and find you." Adele looked at him a little surprised. 

  "Why didn't you tell me that before I fought? I can't go to see Mother and Father like this!" she looked down at her sweaty form and then back at her brother, a cruel smile playing on her lips. "Never mind, where are they?"

***

  Charming smiled at her. Snow looked over at him and glared. She was holding the sword the way he had said. She was standing, slightly crouched the way he had said. She was moving the blade the way he had said. What was he smiling like that about? It bothered her, so she asked.  

  "You," he said as his smile changed to humorous to soft and thoughtful. His gray eyes danced with a sudden flare that made Snow's lower belly rumble. She breathed out a nervous breath and looked straight ahead of her.

  "Well am I doing this right?" she asked.

  "Yes, yeah you are," he said.

   He stepped forward and took her through a few of the movements. They weren't anything she had never done before and she mastered them easily, it wasn't until he got into the more difficult things that she felt the true weight of the blade. It was beginning to hurt her arms and wetness grew on her pale skin.

  Charming stood behind her, his body pressed against hers as he helped her do the more difficult maneuvers. He saw her arms sway downwards and put his large hands beneath her elbows, feeling the stress he took the sword from her hands and sheathed it. 

  "No," she protested, not turning. "I wish to still learn!" Charming breathed a hissed laugh, it being in her ear she heard it.

  She turned on him then, realizing only then how close they had been; body against body. A pink blush touched her white skin. She didn't dare take a step back, afraid he would notice. 

  "What are you laughing at?" she asked. His arms were still outstretched slightly and hovered the air around her hips. Her hands hung loosely at her sides. 

  "You," he said still smiling. She looked up at him and saw the way he was staring at her, a strange look in his pale gray eyes.

  "And what are you staring at?" she asked devilishly.

  "You," it was only a whisper, but it rang in Snow's ears loud and clear. She tilted her head back slightly, closed her eyes and breathed in the sent of him. 

  Charming bent down, his lips almost covering hers, but he pulled back quickly. Snow looked up at him and saw something different in his eyes now. He backed away a few steps before stopping, collecting himself, and walking away. 

  He didn't want her; he wanted a 'perfect princess' who was actually a princess! She was a servant's daughter! This meant she was a servant herself! She is nothing more then her parents, that is just how things are in this age! He breathed a breath to control himself; she had captivated him. The marriage wasn't to happen for another two years and Charming vowed to find a way to remove himself from it... but the thought stayed with him: _Do I really want out of it?_

_With hair as black as a ravens wing,_

_And skin as white as snow,_

_Why do this to yourself, Charming? _

_Her parentage will soon through show_

**Please review... oh I forgot... *Reaches to hand everyone a cookie but realized that the future ruler of the world (a.k.a. Squirrel) stole all the cookies! Promises that you will get your cookies NEXT time.*    
I  
I  
I  
I  
I  
V**


	7. chapie 6

***AN: Gives Everyone (except Squirrel) two cookies and only gives Squirrel one, because Squirrel had eaten all the cookies earlier! MUAHAHAHAHA   I can be so cruel! **

***Looks at reviews received by fairytales101 and wonders where she found the time to write such long (the understatement of the century) reviews, but is more than pleased on the complements received (even though most of the review was pure ranting *which I loved*), therefore, fairytales101 gets a box of cookies.*   **

**  *Unleashed Soul bows before the reviewers (all of them) and bows again before the future ruler of the world (I cant get over how funny that sounds... A Squirrel with a sweet tooth ruling the world!!)  in absolute wonder that anyone likes her stories and is so happy with the reviewers she has! = )***

**by**** the way... Yes, ****Isabelle**** is the same girl they wanted Tomas to marry**

 __

    Snow sat in her secret rose garden, no one remembered this place. It was a place she was alone. 

_  Alone..._

  That is where she wanted to be at the moment, very alone and away. 

_  Away..._

  As far away as she could get from the insanity. 

 _ Insane..._

  It was all too insane, and wrong.

_  Wrong..._

  It was wrong, not Isabelle.

_  Isabelle..._

  He had already done it, he had already married Isabelle. She remembered her from Tomas's 15th birthday ball. The beautiful blonde girl who was only a few years older than herself. The girl was beautiful, but how could one as great as for _HE love her? How? __HE was her life! No one could marry him! No, not him! _

  She let a few tears fall and wished that Adele was there to comfort her. Instead she had the rose garden, and Snowflake, the small black cat. The cat however could say nothing to her in words of comfort. It just sat near her, thinking its presence was enough. But it wasn't. _HE was married to Isabelle. _

  _HE, her Papa! Isabelle was now her stepmother. _

***

  The wedding had been overly splendid, beautiful people were dressed in beautiful clothes, beautiful flowers were thrown onto a beautiful floor, a beautiful white dress was placed on a beautiful woman, the beautiful day faded into a beautiful night. 

  It all happened to fast for young Snow. She was okay with it in front of her Papa; she loved her papa and only wanted his happiness. They had only been engaged for a few months, then three days ago the wedding happened, and now Snow sat crying on a bench. It wasn't that Isabelle was a bad person, Snow hardly knew the girl. It was that her Papa was no longer there for only her, he had to be there for Isabelle first. What if she became pregnant? What if she had a son? Would her papa still love her? 

  _Look at me! She thought to herself looking down as if the cat could hear her thoughts. The cat looked up at her. _

  _I am insane! The cat blinked and went back to cleaning itself. Snow laughed at herself. She dried her eyes, stood and walked out of her sanctuary and into her hell. _

  "Snow, sweetie," Snow saw Isabelle walking towards her. _Sweetie?__ Snow shivered inwardly at the nickname coming from those lips._

  "Yes..." Snow sought out a name to call the woman, Isabelle wouldn't be proper enough to call the Queen, Ma'am is too formal (after all, she is calling Snow sweetie), my Lady wouldn't do either... she mentally shrugged it and let the lack of title slide. Hopefully Isabelle would too.

  She did.

  "You are very beautiful." Isabelle said touching Snow's long raven hair. She smiled at Snow's face with knowing eyes. Snow shivered. She dipped her head as a thank you, the words not finding their way through her throat. She kept her eyes glued to those deep blue, knowledge filled eyes as she walked away.

***

_  Two months later Snow found herself in her secret garden crying again because of the announcement today: Queen Isabelle was with child. _

  Snow was never treated badly by Isabelle, but there was always a secret knowledge behind those eyes, a knowledge that scared Snow. 

  "Wonderful isn't it, Snow?" Asked Isabelle, now with an evil gleam in her eye. It was as if she was waiting for Snow here. Waiting outside of the place Snow kept secret even from Adele.  How did Isabelle always know where to find her? And in truth, Isabelle did _always find her; she was the only one that always found her. _

  "Yes it is." Snow had never put a title on her new stepmother; they never seemed to fit the woman. 

  Snow again walked away from those eyes, those evil knowledge filled eyes...

***

  During the nine months that the Queen was pregnant Snow felt all but forgotten by her papa, he had seen her during meals or such and Snow was beginning to dislike Isabelle for more reasons than just her eyes. However her Papa saw it all in a different light. He knew he neglected Snow slightly, and it was not by his own choice. There were things that needed to be done. Isabelle had become pregnant so fast, he was already getting very old, was old when Snow was born and he had to change things to fit having two children instead of just one. Also there was a ball to plan, ready, and send invitations. He wanted _his new child to have a ball of introduction as most royals were granted. The thought that this child was actually his really did strike him, he knew that Snow wasn't his and it didn't hurt so terribly until now. Every time he looked at her he was reminded that her mother just couldn't bare him a child, it had to be the child of a servant. _

  His wife, the young girl Isabelle, had been only with him. She was able to be faithful, she was able to grant _him a child, to grant him a __son. At the moment he had to worry about Snow and her betrothal with Charming. For some reason the boy didn't want to go through with it. His parents told him in their fear; Charming was making up petty excuses. _

_With hair as black as a Raven's wing,_

_And skin as white as Snow,_

_You had the hair of a golden ring,_

_How can your daughter be Snow?_

_We all know, we all know._

  Those were the only words he could hear after King Richard started explaining about Charming. Bradford was sure that was the problems Charming was having with Snow. Bradford went to see his wife, to hold his son. He let the thoughts of his... 

...of Snow slip from his mind.

**Please review this short chappie...    
I  
I  
I  
I  
I  
V**


	8. chappie 7

***AN:**

 __

 Snow lifted Joshua into her thin, white arms. He was so small, so breakable. She was extremely careful. She let him rest his head in the crook of her arm and watched his tiny blue eyes stare up at her. He was very handsome. A true Prince. She bent her face down close to his and kissed him gently on the cheek as she rocked him, humming.

  "My son is very handsome isn't he?" Isabelle said leaning against the door jam. Snow looked up at her, and for once in a long time, genuinely smiled. "Prince Joshua, it has a ring to it does it not?"

  "Yes, he is lovely." Snow said, the pretty smile still on her ruby lips. 

  "And one day he will be king. King Joshua, ah, yes... beautiful." Isabelle said, a cold look upon her face. Snow stared at her for a moment, 'king'?

   She had not thought about that, he would be the heir to the throne, not her. She had been trained for it all her life, and with her father growing so much older by the day...

  "Think about it, Snow." Isabelle said stepping forward and taking Joshua from the pale skinned princess. "My son will grow to be the king, and what will you be?"

  Snow said nothing, only stared up at Isabelle. _Why was she being this way? Why is she treating me like this?_

  Isabelle turned around to lay the baby back into the crib and Snow took that opportunity to leave. She walked quickly down the halls towards her secret place, her garden. 

  Isabelle turned around to see Snow was no longer standing in the room with her. She looked around and smiled slightly she walked to her own chambers and closed the doors. Her bedroom was grand, a large, elegant bed which she still shared with Bradford. She didn't mind his age, he was experienced, all she had to do was close her eyes and see Prince Tomas. Oh Tomas, why could he not love her? 

  She had seen the way he looked at Snow, the way he _danced with Snow, the way he was when he was__ with or __near Snow. Jealousy sparked her anger, and she would one day give Snow exactly what the girl deserved. Snow deserved to be a servant; she was born from a servant man. Everyone knew that, why did Bradford not kill the infant before he had become attached? _

  Isabelle walked over to her wardrobe. A long, plain looking mirror stood before her.

"Mirror, Mirror, oh thee that know  all of all.

Where hide Snow?

Behind curtain? Door? or Wall?"

  The mirror said nothing in reply, but it no longer showed the young Queen's reflection, instead it showed Snow. She was sitting on a bench, roses surrounding the girl. She looked so beautiful. No tears were in her eyes this time. Instead she just sat there sniffing a single red rose, looking thoughtful. 

  Isabelle didn't need to ask how to get there; she had already known the way. Instead she asked another question.

"Mirror, Mirror, oh thee that hang upon my wall,

Who does the King Bradford love most of all?"

  The mirror changed from the reflection of Snow for only the briefest of moments, then it showed her beautiful face once again. _Snow? Not __Joshua__? He loved __Snow__ more then he loved his __son? That couldn't be!_

"Mirror, Mirror, I ask thee so much,

But who is the one Prince Tomas wishes to touch?"

  Once again the mirror faded from Snow but then back once again. Isabelle did not scream, she did not hit the mirror in her rage, she did not even change the expression on her lovely face. But the rage was inside of her. Once again she talked to her mirror.

"Mirror, Mirror, Oh thee that hangs upon my wall,

Who is the most beautiful of all?"

  The mirror faded once again only to show the face of Snow once again. Still the Queen showed not her rage. But, oh the rage it grew, and grew, until it was nearly bubbling out of her, yet still she held it back; it would not show... not yet.

  The ball for her son was tomorrow, she had to finish the last details of her dress. She let all thoughts of Snow fade to the very back of her mind... but not out of her mind completely. 

***

  Snow wore a long red gown. It was ruby red, matched her lips, and she wore a ruby necklace. Her hair she wore partly up, ruby combs holding it in place. She once again was asked by her father not to wear any make up, and so she didn't. Her dress was different then she had ever worn before. The bodice was tight, it was a sleeveless dress, the material covering what should be hidden, but showed a lot more skin than should have been shown. The dress was not as full as she used to wear; it slipped down her hips and then flared out only slightly.  A lighter shade of material, so sheer you could see through it, fell from her once side of her hip, around her back and to the other hip to make the dress seem fuller; it fell down and swept the floor slightly, but did not cover the front of the dress so that she was able to walk with out fear of tripping. She looked in the mirror and saw her exposed, pale skin. She, uncomfortable with showing so much skin, covered her shoulders with a shawl that matched the thinnest material of her dress. It was summer so she was not afraid of being cold.  

  She walked into the ball room, the speeches had been given and she knew that she was a little late, but she also knew few people would have noticed. 

  "You look beautiful, Snow." Charming complemented as he stepped up beside her. He hadn't gotten out of the marriage yet, and he knew that Snow's father wouldn't tell her that he tried until he managed to get out of it. So until then he had to treat her the way he would if he was going to marry her. 

  "Thank you," she said it sweetly, but something was wrong. Charming looked at her oddly.

  "What's wrong?" he asked, concern was true upon his face. Snow looked over at him and smiled, only slightly, her smile grew and she pulled him by the arm onto the dance floor. 

  "Dance with me," she said pulling him close to her, almost as if hugging him. "Just dance with me." She whispered it into his ear before she stepped back and joined the dance. He stared at her as they danced together. She was too beautiful, too perfect... how could she be who she was? Why couldn't she have been a true princess?

  Charming did dance with her, one dance faded into the next and it seemed as if the first song had never actually stopped. Charming pulled away, he breathed a slow breath before bowing and walking out the doors. Snow saw Tomas walking towards her, he was smiling kindly and reached up his hand, wanting to dance with her. 

  She danced with Prince Tomas. 

  Isabelle looked away from her husband for a moment to see Snow dancing with Tomas. The rage chewed at her soul, ate at her, wanted to break free... but she remained calm, and the rage, it grew. It grew by the day, by the moment, by the thought of Snow her rage grew. 

  After the dance Snow dismissed herself from Tomas, she didn't see the disappointed look in his eyes. She went to find Charming. 

  Charming sat outside on the fountain, Adele was next to him. Snow walked out and she and Adele greeted each other. 

  "What is wrong?" Snow asked, the look on Adele's face was heartbreaking.  

  "Angel," Adele said looking over at Charming. He cleared his throat slightly and stood, finding whatever it was he was about to say hard. "No one can find him... we fear he may be dead. He went horse riding and never came back." 

  Adele sobbed but held back the tears. Snow tried to comfort her, she hugged her friend and said kind words but it seemed to help little, Charming stood behind Adele and watched Snow rub her friend's hair, and whisper too quietly for him to understand. 

  Adele lifted her head, a determined look on her face. 

  "Snow, you and Charming go inside," she glanced away. "I wish to be alone." 

  Snow looked to Charming for an answer; stay or go? He nodded for them to leave the girl be. Charming kissed Adele gently on the cheek, whispered a condolence and took Snow's hand to escort her inside. Snow looked at Adele once more in concern before walking inside with Charming. 

  She never saw Adele again... Adele had gone looking for adventure. They never found her body nor the body of Angel. Snow liked to think that they found each other and lived happily ever after. Adele's life was filled with adventure and this odd creation her mind worked up...

  ...This thing called Love...

**  
Since I was soooooo nice and posted two chappies, I think yall should be extremely nice and REVIEW!!!!! **

**I  
I  
I  
I  
V**


	9. chappie 8

***AN: *looks at her reviewers in awe. Awwwww thanks yall!!!! I'm so glad yall are liking my story!* *looks at the review by AuroraBorealis and starts to walk over to her to answer her questions but instead trips over her tied shoelaces.* **

***For that, the sweet toothed Squirrel soon found herself without any cookies***

**  To answer your questions Aurora, I'm 17, been writing poetry since I was 10, stories since I was 11, and this story just popped up in my head after getting tired of reading the SAME THING in almost every Snow White story. I wanted to prove that you can stick to the plot AND be original at the same time. If you think my story is good you should check out: **

**Nicolette**** story ID 775612**

**It's the best I've read so far. Anyways thank you so much for the complement in saying I could be a great novelist.... that really does mean something to me!**

***Correctly ties her shoe laces so that she doesn't trip and fall again. Reaches into her bag for a small snack and realizes that, once again, Squirrel has taken her cookies!***

*******

**_Italics_**** may mean flashbacks!**

*******

 __

"Mirror, Mirror, Oh thee that sees the end as well as the start,

Who will someday win over Tomas's Heart?"

  The mirror faded and showed Isabelle's reflection. Isabelle stared at her reflection for along time.

"Mirror, Mirror, you make my heart cry,

What you say was truth?

And not a lie?"

  Once again the Mirror showed Isabelle her own reflection. Her heart leaped for joy, but then it sank once again as it showed the reflection of Snow... barely there... but it was there...

"Mirror, Mirror, with your truthful glow

What must I do to keep his heart away from Snow?"

  The mirror faded and came back with a picture of Snow laying in her bed asleep. The sun shown in slightly to show that it was early morning, Isabelle watched as the sun, in fast motion it seemed, moved to noon and then night. Snow never moved... she was asleep... forever. 

Isabelle smiled. 

  Of course! Why had she not thought of it before? The only way to have Bradford love her son, the only way for Tomas to love her, the only way for her to be able to step from Snow's shadow was to put the girl to sleep. It wasn't a crime, she would only sleep. For along time... she would only sleep forever.

***

  Snow lifted Joshua into her arms again. She loved him even if she hated Isabelle. Joshua was so innocent, too kind to hate. Isabelle walked in.

  "Put my son down," Isabelle said coldly. Snow looked at her, then back to Joshua before laying him in the crib.

  "Just holding my brother," Snow said, "Stepmother." She said it sweetly, a sweet smile placed on her lips.

  "He is not your brother," Isabelle said, stepping forward.

  "The son of papa is a brother to me." 

  Isabelle laughed. 

  Snow stood still and watched her. 

  "Your 'Papa'?" Still laughing Isabelle grabbed Snow by the hair and pulled her towards the Grand Queen Chambers. She threw her to stand in front of the Mirror.

"Mirror, Mirror, who will show me to my sweet love's kiss,

Show me who Snow's _Papa is!"_

  Snow stared at the Queen with mixed feelings; was the woman insane? She looked back towards the mirror to see her reflection was gone. A man sat in a chair looking out a window, his hair was salt and pepper, but you could see how black it had once been. His eyes an odd shade of green. His skin was so tanned it looked as if he came from the sun itself. 

  Isabelle laughed. Snow stared at the man for a long time. There was no denying him, he looked like her, or perhaps she like him. It didn't matter; the truth was shown to her now. 

  "You see, my dear," Isabelle said stepping closer, a gleam of a knife shook Snow from her dazed state. "Bradford is not your _papa." The knife went up dangerously and Snow ran around to the side of the bed. Isabelle laughed as she chased the girl. _

  Snow ran over the bed and out of the door. 

  "Get back here, you Bitch!" Isabelle screamed as Snow ran from the palace and through the gardens. "I will find you!" 

  Snow could hear Isabelle breathing, the warm breath touched the back of her neck and she ran faster, she ran past the garden and into the woods beyond. She ran until her feet burned and bled. She ran till her legs lost all strength, and then she crawled. She crawled until her dress was torn in all ways, until her hands were scraped, rough and raw. She crawled until she fell face first in the mud and all went black...

***

  "Gone?" Charming asked one of the servants. "What in the nine hells do you mean she is gone?" 

  "Forgive me Prince Charming," the servant said looking down at the floor. Charming realized it was hard on everyone. Isabelle hadn't come out of her room. King Bradford had so many search groups looking for her. Not one of the servants wore a smile. 

  Charming nodded and walked out to the gardens. First Angel, then Adele, and now Snow! He shook his head, his parents had frowned and shaken their heads and said it was a shame. Five minutes later they were trying to talk to Charming about a _different betrothal! As if he had cared nothing for her! They treated him as if he..._

  He shook the thought from his head. He didn't want to care about her. No, he didn't. It wasn't 'love' that made him get on his horse. It wasn't 'love that made him gallop through the woods in search of her. It wasn't 'love' that made his heart hurt the way it was. It wasn't 'love', it was just... it was... 

  Worry for her family! Perfect excuse! He was worried at what Bradford would do if his child went missing. After all, those rumors proved him to be very unstable.

  _Unstable, a conversation came back to his mind. __What if __Snow__ found out she wasn't __Bradford__'s__ daughter? __That would be a reason she ran away!  _

  Charming slowed his pace and began to walk the horse in silence; he was lost in his own thoughts and knew not what it was that scared his horse. His horse kicked back and threw him off onto the ground with a thud before it galloped away.

  Charming heard footsteps all around him. He looked but saw nothing. Leaves moved only inches from his body, but no breeze blew forth to stir them. He leaped back and laid a hand on the hilt of his sword. 

  _Ghosts aren't real, Charming, he told himself mentally. __All that exists lives, bleeds, and dies... _

  Angel had told him that. Suddenly the memory of Angel brought a different thought to his head. Angel had gone riding the morning of the baby's ball. _Riding in the woods. Adele had run away, heartbroken at the thought of losing Angel. __She ran in the woods. And there were several search groups searching for Snow yet not one had found her... __She ran in the woods. None of them had been found..._

  _"I swear," she said looking towards those woods in their place, that old part of the gardens. "They are haunted, Charming."_

_  "Ghosts are not real, Snow." Charming said, a sweet smile gracing his lips. He ran a finger along her jaw._

_  "No, not by ghosts, by the memory of a Ghost." Snow looked away from the woods and shivered. "I never go near them, and I never will. I feel like sometimes, but not always, the __Forest__ is watching me. Begging me to enter them. _

_  "I don't understand what you mean, Princess." He said, still looking towards her, not sparing a glance at the woods._

_  "Never mind," she looked back at him and smiled. "Teach me more with the sword, Charming." _

  _Haunted by the memory of a Ghost. What could that have meant? He thought back to more of the conversations he had with Snow. Still listening for sounds in the woods, but no sounds came. Only the sound of his breath and heartbeat._

  _"Dreams?"__ Charming asked as he kicked a stone towards Tomas and glared at him. Tomas had been staring too much at Snow, it bothered him. Tomas smiled back stupidly and shrugged. _

_  "More like nightmares!" Snow laughed as she balanced along the dried up fountain. _

_  "Nightmares of what?"_

_  "Of memories," __Snow__ stopped and looked at him, an odd look on her face. "But they aren't my memories. I don't understand them. Papa had said once that your Soul gives you things of its own... Do you believe that Charming?"_

_  "I never thought about it." He admitted. He looked back at Tomas who was supposed to be watching __Angel__ help __Adele__ learn to better use the blade. He was staring at Snow again, too far away to hear the conversation, but still staring at her. "Tomas!" He snapped. Tomas looked over at him and looked back towards __Adele__ and __Angel__. _

_  "What was he doing?" Snow asked, Charming shrugged it off and urged her to continue about her dreams._

_  "What happens in your nightmares?"_

_  "It's about a man, but I've never seen him before, nor can I see him now. He has his back turned and is walking into those woods." She pointed with her chin towards the __Forest__. "The view is from Papa's room, I used to sit on the window sill and look at the __Forest__. I remember the view perfectly. But in my dream I am watching, I am watching Him walk away and I am sad...its just so haunting..." She shrugged. "It's silly, I know."_

_  "I don't think so," Charming said reaching up a hand to help her sit, slightly worried she would slip and fall into the dried fountain. _

_  "Has that stuff ever happened to you?"_

_  "Not that I remember, but my old Nanny, she is dead now, but she said that I had my Grandfather in me more than I knew." He gave a hissed laugh that he had done so often when embarrassed or humored by Snow. "She meant that I acted like him; I had scared a few people." He shrugged, imitating what __Snow__ had done only moments ago when explaining her dream. "She thought I had his Soul."_

_  "Maybe you do."_

  Charming, thought for a long time. Galloping horses came up behind him and he saw one of the Kings search groups.

  "Prince Charming?" Called the man in the front, "What are you doing out here?"

  "Same as you, looking for Snow." 

  The man waved another man forward, he hardly looked like a man, more like a young boy, and he was leaning on his horse in an odd way.

  "Fell of his horse, I swear the damned are in this Forest." Charming nodded absently and climbed onto the horse in front of the young boy and walked the horse back slowly towards the castle. 

**Please leave a review.**

**I  
I  
I  
I  
I  
I  
V**


	10. 9

***AN: Thanks for the reviews yall... sorry I haven't updated, I was busy! But here is the next chapter!**

**Enjoy!**

 Snow slowly opened her eyes to see two tiny eyes staring back at her. She sat up quickly and saw a young, dirty boy. 

  "Papa! Papa!" he screamed. "She is awake!" 

  Snow looked over at the man; he wore a cloth over his eyes. He sat in a rocking chair near to the window, a blanket around his shoulders even though it was warm.

  Two more children walked into the room, one was a little girl and the other a younger boy. Both were filthy. 

  "Are you hurt?" the girl asked. She looked to be about ten years old, the oldest in the room other than Snow and the old man. Snow couldn't take her eyes from the blind man, he wasn't blind in the vision the Mirror showed! But Snow knew who it was, knew the house, the rocking chair, the window, the sun like skin. It was _her papa! _

  Snow looked back over at the girl. 

  "No, I am not hurt," she whispered, but tears fell from her eyes. 

  "You are crying." the girl said handing the two year old boy to the dirty one that Snow saw when she woke. "What hurts? Papa, the girl is crying!"

  The man stood and walked shakily, with the help of a wooden cane, towards Snow. 

  "What is your name, child?" he asked.

  Snow gulped back a lump in her throat. 

  "I have no name, Sir." Snow said looking down at her pale skinned, cut, bruised and still bloodied hands. "But I was once called Snow White." 

  The man placed a rough, large hand on Snow's face. 

  "And what, Sir, shall I call you?" Tears fell from beneath the white cloth that was tied around Snoedan's eyes. 

  "Papa." 

  Snow nodded, knowing he didn't know who she was, but all the children that were abandoned, outcast, or lost called him 'Papa', she knew that he did not know her. And it hurt.

  Snow looked over at the girl. 

  "And you, pretty lady, what is your name?" The girl smiled widely at being called not only pretty but also a lady.

  "I am Winter!" 

  More tears fell from Snow's eyes. She nodded and looked around her.

  "How many children live here with you?" She asked it to anyone who would answer her, be it Papa or Winter or the spider that climbed along the wall.

  "There are six of us, and Papa makes seven!" Winter said as she sat down on the edge of the bed. "Papa found us one by one, or we found him, and he takes care of us! He even named me, because when he found me I was only two, my parents were killed."

  The smile on Winter's face never left her, she looked up at her 'papa' with much admiration. It was impossible to make out the exact color of Winter's skin under the dirt and smut that was on her body, her clothes were too small for her and had been stitched in several places. Her hair was brown, as were her eyes. The little boy with her that looked two had the same brown hair and eyes. The dirty boy she had seen from the beginning had red hair and green eyes. 

  "Where are the other three children?" Snow asked. "And what are all of your names?"

  "Well, like I said I am Winter," the girl said, eager to talk. "This,-" she held up the two year old- "is Brian, that-" the dirty boy- "is Tony." 

  "And how old are you Tony?"

  "Five... I think."

  "Yeah your five, Tony, and I am nine, and Brian is almost three. Then Mary is thirteen, she was found only two years ago, her little sister, Spring, is also five, and Jason, he is five too. They all came here together, but Jason isn't their brother, he was found by Mary and she took care of 'em, like Papa is doing for us. But she couldn't do it all on her own so now she helps Papa take care of all of us. They are down at the river getting water right now."

  Snow nodded. She smiled and swung her feet off of the bed.

  "What 'bout you, Snow White? How old are you and why are you here? You look old enough to take care of yourself." 

  'Papa' cleared his throat to show that that was a very impolite thing to say.

  "No worries, Papa," Snow said with a smile, it felt good to call him papa. She looked back towards Winter. "I am almost 17 years old, and I suppose I simply got lost in the woods. I didn't mean to intrude on any of you, and I am so sorry for any trouble I caused."

  "Do not worry about it, Snow White." Papa said sitting in his chair and beginning to rock. "You may stay here as long as you like."

  "May I help you, Papa? Help you with these children?" 

  The old man smiled, it warmed Snow to the bone. 

  "I would love that, milady." Snow's smile faded a little. 

  "You can call me Snow, Sir, I am no lady." 

  The man only nodded.

***

  It's been three days and still no sight of Adele, Angel or Snow. Charming laid in his bed. It was well past noon, he knew he should get up, but memories of Snow stayed in his mind.

  _"You really are beautiful, Snow." Charming said as he walked towards here in that secret place in the ancient garden. That was the way he greeted her._

_  "Thank you, Charming," she said, it was sweetly said, always meant it, always sounded as if it was the first time he had ever said it._

_  Adele and Tomas were not there, there had been no ball, he wasn't here because of that. He was here with his parents; they had plans to talk over about the Uniting of Kingdoms when the marriage took place. _

_  "Beautiful day," Snow murmured as she let her fingers graze along the stone fountain. Charming bent and lifted a red rose, perfect in every way, red as ruby... or red as blood._

_  "Beautiful princess," he murmured into her ear as he walked up behind her. He wrapped one arm around her waist as he did when teaching her the blade, the other he held the rose up in front of her._

_  She smiled in response, he could hear__ her smile! She took the rose from his hand and turned around in his arms. A devious look that no princess should ever wear came across her face, it came across her face every time they were that close. Her voice changed as well. It changed from the sweetness of innocence to a comfortable voice, low and seducing. _

_  "What will you teach me today?" she asked. Charming had thought perhaps she meant something different than him simply teaching her the blade, he hoped she meant something different often times. _

_  Today he had planned to though; he was going to do something different, the urge was too great. Snow instead pulled his sword from his sheath, she was getting better by the day, learning quickly. _

_  He put his hand on top of hers, putting the sword back. She looked up at him oddly. He placed his hands back onto her face, running his thumbs along the jaw bone, he leaned closer, he could feel her warm breath touching his lips, he wanted to taste her, know what she tasted like..._

_  I should have kissed her. Charming thought, he sat up in the bed and wiped moisture from his eyes. He wasn't crying, no tears had been shed. _

  _"Where are you?" she giggled as she turned feeling for him. "Charming?" she said it sweetly, questioningly. A blind fold was around her eyes and she stumbled through the garden looking for him. _

_  "Here," he would whisper behind her ear but when she turned to reach he was no longer standing there. _

_  He watched her as she stumbled slightly, searching for him she had turned in his direction nearly every time, she could feel him. If she turned in the wrong direction, towards something dangerous, he would whisper in her ear to make her change her course._

_  He whispered in her ear again, a hissed laugh found its way through his lips when she faced him and pulled off the blindfold, and then jumped at him. He would catch her and they would laugh. She was a good friend to him._

_  I cared for her. He thought to himself, an odd feeling in his stomach. __But only as a friend, like the way I cared for Adele, only as a friend. _

  He swung his feet over the side of the bed, feeling the cold floor.

  _"It's freezing, Snow!" He exclaimed as Snow pulled him into the slow moving river. The river crossed over part of the garden, slightly with slippery stones on the bottom but when it reached the older part, the secret part, the ground became soft sand, and the water reached ankle deep near the shore but deeper near the center. _

_  Snow said nothing, only giggled as she pulled him into the ankle deep part. They had taken off their shoes already. Snow held her dress up with one hand and was holding onto Charming's arm with the other. Charming stepped forward too quickly and lifted Snow into his arms. She gasped and giggled more, shaking her beautiful head, her waist length black hair shaking. _

_  "Don't Charming! Put me down!" She screamed as he threw her into the deeper part of the smooth river. _

_  She stood up, a large smile on her face; he ran forward and splashed her. The water came to his waist and higher on Snow. _

_  "You're terrible, Charming." She whispered as she wrapped her arms around his neck. He smiled in response as he put his hands around her hips and they danced together in the water. It wasn't a practiced dance, they simply swayed back and forth, but it was beautiful._

_  Charming shook the memory from his mind and walked over to look in his mirror. He looked horrible, dark circles under his eyes from the lack of sleep, his hair was a tangled mess and dirty from not bathing in three days, he hadn't eaten in three days either. _

  In the mirror he saw the reflection of Snow. But she laid on the ground in an odd way, blood was everywhere, she faced up and her eyes were open, yet she saw nothing. She was... she was dead.

  Charming punched the mirror with his fist.

  _"Oh, Charming, you're bleeding!" Snow said as she looked at the cut on his fist. He had scrapped it on a thorn bush as he tried to pluck her a rose. "Let me see." _

_  He pulled up his hand and she looked at it, taking it gently into her own small hands. It was only a scratch, but large red drops of blood fell from it. She used the sleeve of her dress to wipe away the blood._

_  "Don't do that, silly; you'll never get it cleaned!" Snow smiled at him and kissed his cheek as she wiped the new blood. _

_  She placed her sleeve firmly onto his hand until the blood stopped. She lifted his hand to her lips and kissed the cut._

_  "Your beautiful, Snow." He said quietly. If she had heard him, she hid it. _

_  Charming stared at the blood on his fist. No one was there to clean it, to wipe it away, to kiss it. He just stared at it for a long time, watching the blood drip from his fist and onto the floor. He stood listening to the splattering of the drops against the cold marble floor. _

   Drip, drop, drip, drop...

  That wasn't the sound of his blood; he glanced out the window to see rain coming down.

  Drip, drop, drip, drop...

  _Drip, drop, drip, drop..._

_  Snow turned; a beautiful smile touched her lips. He didn't smile back though. "Isn't the rain beautiful?" she asked_

_  "Snow is prettier." _

_  Snow turned around and looked at him. Her mouth was open, but no words came. She closed her mouth and smiled. _

_  Charming came and sat next to her on the window sill and in silence they stared out at the rain._

  "Where are you, Snow White?" Charming asked the silence. He fell to his knees, slamming his fist against the marble floor. "Where..."

**I love torturing Charming *grins evilly* Stupid man needs to learn a few things I'd say!**

**heehee******

**Please review!  
I  
I  
I  
I  
I  
V**


	11. 10

***AN: I had to completely rewrite this chapter.... So it may not be as good as it was the FIRST time I wrote it... It really was good before!**

  "Did you ever have children of your own Papa?" Snow asked while she sat on the stole touching her chin length black hair. Mary had cut it short to sell it. 

  Snow had met Mary, Spring and Jason and had heard of their stories. She came to love them. She had a problem with Mary, though. Mary would sell her body to men to bring the small family money, Snow's heart broke when she heard this story. Mary's love for her family was so great that she would do such a horrible thing to herself. Anther thing Snow couldn't understand was what kind of man would buy and use the body of a 13 year old child!? Snow had cut her hair short to sell it and when the money ran out from that she would think of something else, she promised Mary that the girl would never again have to sell herself.

  "Papa?" Snow asked looking at the man, Papa's breathes came harshly and he held his heart as if he was in pain. "Papa are you alright!?" 

"I had a child, though I do not know if it was a girl or a boy. My love had made a wish..." he shook his old head, pushing Snow back into her seat. "I am just old, my child... What do you look like Snow White? Forgive me for not being able to see you."

  "There is nothing to forgive, Papa." Snow sighed, "I have hair as black as a raven's wing and skin as white as snow."

"With hair as black as a raven's wing,

And skin as white as Snow,

Your child will be the son of a King,

But you will love and know."         

  "Papa?" Snow asked, tears streaming down her pale cheeks.

  "My love had made a wish..." he murmured again. His hand still clutching his old heart. 

  "Did she wish that a child be born in such a way?" Snow asked, falling to her knees and looking at her Papa, her true Papa. 

  "I never knew if that wish came true... but I'd give anything to know."

  "It came true, Papa!" Snow cried throwing her arms around her papa. "It came true, Papa, and Mama loved you till the end!"

  Snoedan grabbed Snow and held her close into a tight hug. He touched her face with his hands to feel how she looked, he ran his fingers through her black hair to feel the softness. Tears fell down his cheeks as well.

***

  "Snow." 

  Charming was in the woods in search of Snow White. It was night, a starry night with a full moon. 

  _"Charming!" __Snow whispered as Charming held firmly to her wrist and pulled her through the moonlit garden. They had to sneak around guards and night men. "Do you know what people will do if they found us here? What they would think?"_

_  "Heavens forbid they think of us in love." Charming said with a sly wink. He pulled her beyond the normal garden and back into their place. "I want to show you something."_

_  "What?" Snow asked finally able to sit on the dried fountain and catch her breath. Never before had she done something as terrible as sneak out of her room. _

_  "We aren't there yet silly." Charming said taking her hand again and leading her to the woods." _

_  "Charming your insane! Please Charming, I do not wish to enter!" _

_  Charming laughed at this and pulled her along anyways. _

_  "Charming please!" Snow cried, tears fell from her eyes. _

_  Charming was surprised by that reaction and quickly stopped and let go of his betrothed's wrist. She fell to her knees and cried silently in fear. Charming knelt beside her._

_  "Princess," he whispered moving soft strands of bed messed hair from her face. She had never worn her hair completely down before...  It wasnt how a lady was supposed to wear it. But when Charming saw her this night; dressed in her white, innocent nightgown, a sheer robe covering her and slippers on her feet, her hair was down and slightly messed from sleeping but her beauty was even more incredible to him. How was that possible?_

_  Snow looked up at him. _

_  "I'm scared of the woods Charming, I never wish to enter them." _

_  "Not even with me at your side? I will never let harm come to you..." _

_  Charming snorted at the memory... __Never let harm come to you, my ass! It was his fault that she was not in the safety of her home; he should have been able to protect her!_

***

_   "Not even with me at your side? I will never let harm come to you..." _

_  Snow looked up at him. His green eyes melting into her, making her entire body grow weak. If he had asked her to fall upon a blade or take a rope around her neck at that moment she would have. She would do anything to please him, to please the man she loved._

_  "Okay," she whispered and stood. She took his hand in hers and wiped her tears from her cheeks and eyes. _

_  Charming smiled and took her into the woods. There was a small clearing just a short distance inside. They stopped there. _

_  "See," Charming whispered. "It's not so bad." _

_  Snow looked up at him as if she didn't understand. Why did he bring her into her._

_ Charming looked up at the moonlit sky. _

_  "I noticed how perfect this place was, this beautiful place... It would be even more perfect if you were here with me." Charming looked back down at Snow, something was in his eyes that __Snow__ didn't quite understand. "And now you are here... and everything is perfect."_

_  Charming pulled Snow close once again and began to dance with her as they did in the water. He leaned closer and __Snow__ could nearly feel his lips._

_  "I Love you, Charming." Snow whispered, closed her eyes and waited for his lips to meet hers. _

_  But they never did... Tears fell from Snow's eyes. He hadn't loved her, Snow realized as she sat on top of the roof and watching the moon. He had known all along who she was and couldn't have possibly loved her... _

  Earlier that day the children found out who Snow was... She had been the princess, and was, and had always been the true child of Snoedan. The children were not jealuse... they were infact pleased and hugged her and said that they loved her more because of it. Because before Snoedan died of old age he had looked (even if he didn't see) upon the face of his child. And he died with a smile on his still beautiful face. 

  Tears fell from Snow's eyes. She lost her true father, her adoptive father, her love, and her life. And worse she only had this night to morn for all those losses, for in the next day they were to bury Papa. Snow would have to be strong and take charge over the children... it was a horrible fate, but it was her own.

***

  Close to a week later a woman knocked on the door of Snow's small house. The children were all gone at the moment and Snow slowly and cautiously opened the door. 

  "Please child, give me a bit of water."

  Snow nodded and gave the woman some water and sat her down to rest. The woman only stayed for a short moment but looked at Snow's beauty.

  "For your kindness, child, I will give you this comb," the woman pulled forth a lovely comb and laid it in Snow's white hand. "It is all I have to offer you."

  "Dear woman," Snow said smiling and shaking her head. "This comb is probably worth a pretty penny... I only gave you a small amount of water."

  "To me that water was worth all the combs and money in all the world... it saved my life." 

  Snow smiled and tried once more to give  back the comb.... but th woman refused once more to take it back and left the place.

***

  Isabelle laughed and laughed all the way back to the palace... Snow would soon be dead. She looked into her mirror and saw Snow still alive and the comb laid on the table not to far away. The witch gasped and growled... Why did Snow not wear the comb? She then cursed herself for her stupidity when she saw that Snow's hair was now too short to wear a comb properly.

  She would have to think up something quite different...

**Im**** uploading both chapters tonight because Im just sooooo nice :)**

**So please be nice and review !!!**

**I  
I  
I  
I  
I  
I  
V**


	12. Happily Ever After

***AN: last chappie... hope yall enjoy!!**

  Mary had sold the comb and received enough money for it to last an entire month! Snow told her how proud she was of her. 

  It had been two months today, since she found the truth, since Isabelle tried to kill her in that room, since she found her life... since she left Charming. She felt a pain in her heart. She wanted him back, she wanted him back now. 

  "Find me, Charming," she whispered into the soup she was cooking.

  "Did you say something, Snow White?" Snow turned and looked at Winter. 

  "No, I was lost in thought." 

  "Guess what, Snow." 

   "What?"

  "Mary is in love," Winter laughed.

  "Shut up you little-"

  "Mary," Snow warned. She didn't want Mary teaching the younger children any sort of words that were inappropriate.

  "Are you mad at me, Snow?" Mary asked, a worried sound in her voice.

  "Of course not, Mary, tell me about him." 

  Mary had met him the day she sold the comb. He was a nice man, she had said, he kissed her. But he didn't do anything else to her. Snow asked concerned questions about the kiss, but found it to be nothing more then a harmless kiss. Mary was going to see him again. Snow new she had no say in it. 

  Mary went out the next day to see her 'love' and the children went down to fish in the river. A knock came to the door. Snow opened it again to see another woman, different then the last one. This one was red headed and carried a baby in her arms.

  "May I help you?" Snow asked.

  "Just some milk for my baby, please, I beg of you." The woman was close to tears. She carried a large sack on her back and her baby was tied to her chest with a long cloth.

  "Sit down at my table." Snow said smiling as she went to get the baby some milk.

  After the baby drank its fill the woman reached into her bag and pulled out new ribbons. 

  "For giving me the milk I will give you these new ribbons!" she exclaimed happily. Snow tried to object but the woman would hear nothing of it. "Turn around and let me lace you up."

  "This old dress does not deserve new laces!" Snow laughed, the woman laid the laces down on the table and stood and left. 

  Snow looked at the lovely laces and decided it would be best to sell them. She had thought about giving them to the girls, but the girls wouldn't care if their dresses were tied with grass. She put them away for the month, next month they would have money again and not have to worry. 

***

 Isabelle screamed at her mirror, why could Snow not just die! The comb had poison on it, and the laces would shrink and suffocate the life out of the person who wore them. Snow had sold them both! Damn her! 

  Isabelle knew that she could not give Snow anything that the girl could sell. The girl was now poor, she needed the money... something she couldn't sell... An apple! Isabelle laughed, she knew she would have to bide her time, it would be funny to see a beggar woman every month. No, she would wait. In the meantime she would work on winning the heart of Tomas. 

***

 "Snow?" Snow looked over at the door, Mary stood there pulling in a young man, he was only perhaps a year older then Snow. "This is Daniel." 

  Daniel smiled slightly, dipping his head. Snow smiled and waved him in. He ate dinner with them that night and Snow found that she liked him. Mary held up her fourth finger. A beautiful silver ring sat on her finger.

  "Oh Mary!" Snow gasped. 

  "Can you handle Brian, Jason and Winter on your own?" 

  "Of course!" Snow reached over and pulled Mary into a deep hug. Mary wiped her eyes and stood up. She looked at Snow for along time then walked out of the house. Snow cried, but she was happy for Mary.  

  Now it was just Winter, the smaller children and Snow. Snow knew that she couldn't go into the village to buy things, so she would send Winter. Winter had gone with Mary several times before and knew what to do. So Snow had little to worry about. 

***

  Charming sat in his room. He had returned home yesterday against his own will. His father had fallen terribly ill and they feared it would be the end. Charming had not smiled in a year, for it had been a year since he had lost Snow. He had lost his life with her. If she was dead, then so was he. 

  He saw her everywhere, but when he reached out for her she was not there. She was an illusion. He missed her, he wanted her back. He wanted her... in all of the things of life he wanted her.

***

  Winter and Jason went together to the village; Snow was feeling uncomfortable with Winter going alone. Brian sat on the floor and scribbled things he called pictures for Snow. She sat down in the rocking chair and looked out the window. She smiled slightly. Her papa had done this for so many years looking for her, and now she sat here looking for Charming. 

  _I came to Papa, Charming will come to me. Snow thought, she looked down at Brian, the little boy was busy drawing and humming out of tune. Snow started humming with him; put a tune into his attempt of music. He hummed with her, such a beautiful song._

  Snow saw someone coming up the old dirt trail, an old woman. The woman slumped against the door and Snow hurriedly brought the woman in and sat her down into a chair. 

  "Please child," the woman pleaded. "Water!" 

  Snow quickly poured water from the pail and gave the cup to the old woman. She drank it quickly and then smiled at Snow.

  "You are so good," the woman said catching her breath. "I fear I have nothing to give to you." 

  "My kindness is free." Snow said smiling. Brian glanced up at the old woman, but then continued his drawings. 

  "Nothing is free," the woman reached into her bag and handed Snow and apple. "This is all I have to offer you." 

  "It is not something I need."

  "Take it, child, I do not take charity." 

  Snow smiled and accepted the apple. The woman thanked her once more before leaving. 

  "Do you want some of this apple, Brian?" Brian looked up at her.

  "Nope, not hungry." he said. Snow smiled and nodded. She took a bite of the able and swallowed... but she couldn't swallow. The apple stuck in her throat. She tried to cough it up, but it stayed.

  She couldn't breath, she fell to her knees and tried to breath, tried to scream for help, tried to do something. She became dizzy. She could hear Brian's screams, his cries, she looked at him. He didn't know what to do, he cried and hugged her, trying to make her hum again. He started to hum as Snow closed her eyes, ...such a beautiful song...

***

  Tomas looked at the now one year old boy. King Joshua would grow very handsome. He turned to see Isabelle walking up behind him.

  "My Prince," she said dipping her head. He turned his back to her. "I will win your heart." 

  Tomas stared at her for a moment, then blinked.

  "She is dead, Tomas." 

  He blinked again, not understanding.

  "I killed her, I killed Snow so that I could have your heart."

  Tomas stared at her again, with different eyes. Hateful eyes. 

  "You will give me your heart freely won't you?"

  "Damn you, you witch." he whispered, rage was too great in him for him to yell it. 

  "If you will not give me your heart, Tomas, I will take it." Tomas stared at him for a long moment. 

  "Witch, you will never have my heart. Snow has it, in the afterlife she has my heart." 

  "You couldn't have ever had her anyway, Charming had her."

  "I loved her, she loved him, and so be it. But I will never love another." 

  Isabelle screamed at him, Joshua screamed also. Isabelle drove the dagger into Tomas's chest before he could stop her. He stared at her until he could no longer see her. She twisted the knife within his chest, blood splattered to her face, but she didn't care, she pulled forth his heart and laughed. She knew she would one day have his heart! She laughed and laughed, the laugh of an insane woman.

***

  "Charming you can't do that! You can't come home and just leave again!"  Charming ignored his mother; his father had returned to good health, he was free to leave again. He galloped away, galloped towards the woods that stole three lives. 

  First it stole the life of Angel, and then the life of Adele, and then of Snow. He was determined to win back one of those lives, or lose another. 

***

  "My Queen, please!" cried the servant trying to calm the insane woman. She had eaten the heart of Tomas; a messenger was already heading to tell Queen Lillian and King Richard. They would seek revenge on Isabelle, the servant knew the woman was insane now, and when she attacked him with the dagger he dodged her, moved out of her way and ran near the crib. Isabelle stopped and looked at the servant man, he looked around and knew there was nothing left to do, so he attacked the woman, pushed her with all his might and she fell backwards, forever. 

  When the guards arrived the servant told them what had happened. She attacked him after eating the Prince's heart, he had dodged her and she fell out the window. 

  "What is your story lad?"

  "I came as the personal servant of Prince Tomas, my name is Rodger," he said. "Tomas was called here by the Queen under secret notice. He asked me to accompany him because we have known each other since we were children. I knew Adele."  _I loved __Adele__... but he didn't dare say that._

  "Very well lad," the man said. "We could use a man with quick thoughts; you have saved the life of the King." Rodger understood the offer, and nodded. Plans were set for him to train to become a knight.

***

  He rode the entire day and night until he reached the entrance of that forest. A little girl ran past him into the woods. 

  "Girl," The girl stopped and looked at him, there were tears in her eyes. "Help me, I beg of you."

  "Sir, forgive me I would. But my sister has just died!" the girl cried she carried a blanket in her arms. "We must burry her today."   

  "I am looking for someone," Charming jumped down from his horse. "I am sorry to hear of your sister. But this girl, maybe you know her!"

  The girl only stood there and let tears fall from her eyes. They couldn't burry Snow in the old blankets they had, she deserved better. So they laid her in her bed and Winter ran off to get a new, beautiful blanket to wrap Snow's body in, just like Snow had done for Papa.

  "Hair as black as a raven's wing..."

  "Skin as White as snow?" the girl asked, the tears stopped falling.

  Charming grabbed the child by the shoulders. 

  "Where is she!"

  "She was my sister!" 

  Charming stared at the child, that wasn't possible. He mounted his horse, pulling the girl on it with him. 

  "Tell me how to get there, child."

  Winter directed him and he found the old cottage, how could he have not found it before? He shook the thoughts from his mind and entered to see Snow laying on her bed, still as pale as she was, she did not look dead. 

  He shook her twice gently then more forcefully. 

  "Snow! Wake up!" Snow just laid there.

  "She is dead, Sir!" Winter screamed Mary laid a hand on the Prince's shoulders. 

  "Sir, did you know our sister?"

  "Your sister?" Charming looked at Snow, it was her; no other woman looked anything like that. 

  Mary told him the story, all that she knew of it, Charming put the rest of it together, then cried. He was now dead as well.

  Mary and Winter lifted Snow's body and wrapped it into the blanket. The hole was already dug. Charming sat dazed, not moving, just remembering the love he had for her. The _love! Damn it I loved her! _

  He heard a grunt and noticed that the girls were about to burry the only woman he would ever love. He stopped them outside; the hole was so deep, so empty, so damned.

  He unwrapped Snow's face and looked at her; he stared at her for a long time. Her pale skin was smooth, her beautiful eyes closed, her ruby lips soft and inviting... even in death. 

  He leaned down, he wanted to kiss those lips, he should have kissed her before, before it was too late. His lips touched hers, they were soft, sweet, beautiful...

  Snow laid still, not moving, dead. 

  The girls lifted each end of the blanket and lowered her in gently. Charming wished he could have helped, but didn't think he had the strength. Winter's small grip loosened and Snow fell heavily into the deep ground, to lay forever in peace.

_And thus the end of a story of a love so unforgettable, yet so tragic..._

_Charming never returned to his castle, he lived in the small cottage with the children, taking care of them as __Snow__ had done. When they grew older and moved off on their own new children with a need replaced them. _

_King __Joshua__ grew to become one of the greatest kings in all the land. _

_Adele and Angel were never found, if they were dead then the earth had swallowed them whole, if they were alive, then they had found their adventures._

_Charming died an old man, never marrying, never again loving..._

**AN   I**** know, I know.... I am a cruel, cruel, evil and terrible person... I've already been told! I thought it was a unique ending though. I stayed pretty close to the original story =)    Anyways I thought it was more evil to have Charming live till he was old.... hehee  that's so mean. Honestly when I reread this story my eyes get all watery and I think how the heck did I write this sad thing? (I am an evil cry baby!). **

**  _I will tell you a fairy tale…_**

_Once upon a time, _

_For all fairy tales start in such a day_

_A young peasant boy was out to prove himself to people who shouldn't and didn't truly care_

_They mocked him to bother him, _

_So the peasant boy went to prove himself to these noblemen,_

_And to save his pride..._

_A young noble woman was being forced to marry a nobleman_

_Though, predictably, that was the last thing she wanted_

_In her search for freedom she left her home,_

_And lost everything she held dear... _

_And then the true Fairy Tale begins_

_The tale of:_

_Of Pride and Beauty: The __Story__ of Beauty & Beast _

_check out my knew storie – story id 1060466_

**  
  Even though I am evil and terrible and hateful and just downright a mean writer, Please do still review and tell me that on your own =) **

**Luv, hugs, good stuff and lots of goodies! **

**Audrey******

**= þ**

**I  
I  
I  
I  
I  
V**


End file.
